The Rescue
by WrittenbyAmeliaWilliams
Summary: The base explodes, then we cut to the rescued soldiers marching up to the base, but what happened in between there? This is what happened. (Non slash, just a heck of a lot of angst and a STRONG BroTP)


"No! Not without you!" Bucky screamed across the flames. He then watched, knuckles turning white from his grip on the dirty handrail as Steve bent the rail farther from him.

_He's not going to do what I think he is… _Bucky thought.

But he was.

Steve backed up, and with what looked like one last thought about it, Steve leapt, an explosion making the moment seem to stop as he watched.

This man. Last time he'd seen him he was a 5'8" 90lbs. asthmatic and now, he was the man he was always meant to be, the one he'd been on the inside, just on the outside too.

With a shudder and a thud, Steve landed on the catwalk, pushing Bucky back and covering them both with the shield as the fire flew over them. The landing began to shudder violently, the heat finally disrupting the metal Suddenly the walk fell, screeching and screaming till it finally hit the ground, throwing the two soldiers back with the impact. Bucky's head lolled against the ground as a wave of nausea ran over him.

Two strong hands gripped onto his shirt and pulled him back to his feet. "Bucky? Come on, we have to go." Steve begged as Bucky's legs began to buckle, Steve holding him up. He took a deep breath and nodded. Regaining his hook of adrenaline that kept him going so far, he ran behind Steve, the heat of the failing building beating down on him.

Finally, a rush of foggy air his hi as they dashed through a door, greeted by a rain of bullets, but not as much as he'd thought. Where was everyone?

"Hey!" a voice said from behind making Buky jerk around violently, waiting for that damned red skull or that doctor to be waiting for him but instead met with a familiar face.

"Falsworth!" Bucky exclaimed, relieved some familiar faces were still alive.

"Save the 'my hero' stuff for later, boy. For now we gotta scram!" he said in his usual never-take-no-for-an-answer voice. A few more freed soldiers –some he knew, some not- joined them, telling Steve which way was clear.

They pushed though the remaining Nazis, though not many remained. The base was in flames, and those that weren't dead were running, but some weren't done fighting.

Someone handed him a gun and, running on pure adrenaline he helped fend the off, Steve broke off and began pushing a large group away hen more surviving Nazis appeared around him and the other soldiers who had grouped behind him. They held them off, and were almost to the clearing, Most of the soldiers had left or died in the explosion, but these loyalist Nazis were relentless. Bucky could see Steve's blue helmet. They were almost free.

Till out of nowhere he felt a hand bundle into his hair and pulled him down, his back slamming into the unforgiving earth for the second time that night. Bucky felt as the hand released his hair and swiveled around to his throat, the large framed man mounting him and pressing into his neck.

Gasping, Bucky's leg flew up and kneed the man violently in the back. As his grip around Bucky's neck faltered he pushed the man off, flipping around till he was now on top of him, sending a brutal punch across his face, followed by another and another. Bucky could see the man waning and soon he could be out of there, when he felt a boot kick violently from behind as he fell off the Nazi. Once again straddled, Bucky struggled under the huge Nazi's frame. He looked up at the monster and instantly recognized his face. He had been very close to the doctor who experimented on him. This was the Hydra Nazi that had dragged him up those levels, who personally strapped him to the table, who would hurt him when he wouldn't answer questions.

A few quick punches across the captured soldier's face and a split of his cheek were enough for the Nazi. He clutched onto Bucky's wrists, yanking them above his head as he pulled out a hand gun, pointing it at Bucky's head. Bucky felt his feet get pinned as the other Nazi he had taken down a moment ago hooked onto them, not taking chances.

The Hydra agent above him smiled as Bucky's eyes widened and he began to struggle and grunt when he heard the gun cock into place and the barrel pushed down hard against his forehead.

"American trash. Hail Hy-" but the sentence was never finished as he was cut off by a gunshot that went through his abdomen. Bucky looked up to see Falstaff and Steve running toward him. The other Nazi at his feet glanced up in horror as he tried one last time to tae a lunge at Bucky's throat but a giant boot to the face stopped him cold. Steve leaned down and pulled Bucky to his feet as another wave of dizziness rushed over him and his knees threatened to buckle once more.

"Dang it, Buck. You ok?" Steve asked, concern laced in his voice.

Bucky nodded simple but surely. "Yeah…yeah let's just get the hell outta here." He said strongly. Steve finally consented and led the large group of survivors out with a few orders to grab at least one of every weapon they could fined and a few tanks as well as they made their way back to their squadron.

The sun was beginning to break on the horizon as they made their way up the hill. It would be about another day's walk till they made it to the camp. "So, no thoughts about an exit plan with this mission?" Bucky asked, breathless.

"Well, I had one but that kind of…" Steve fingered a square device in his hand. "…died."

Bucky gave a light nod, but even that hurt his head. Damn, his had hurt…in fact, everything hurt.

Unexpectedly, the past torture all came back to him in a sudden wash of pain. He'd been putting it off, not showing pain in front of Hydra, the adrenaline of the escape; he hadn't even had time to think about the pain. But it came with a bitter revenge, shoving through him like a knife. Bucky's knees hit the ground, one arm around his head, the other his abdomen.

Steve dropped next to him, taking his face in his large hands examining him for any injuries he may have missed. Steve felt a tremor shake his friend, his eyes wide but not looking anywhere. He had begun mumbling again, the same stuff Steve had heard him mumbling when he found him on that table.

"Bucky! Hey, Bucky!" Steve pleaded to his friend, but Bucky simply mumbled away, shaking harder with every passing second. Steve wrapped his arm across his back and pulled him into his chest. "Dugan, keep up moving. It's a straight shot from here to the base."

Tim Dugan nodded. "Yes, sir." He said, a touch of gentleness to his so far gruff voice. Obviously Bucky had worked his way into his heart too.

Steve nodded in gratitude and pulled Bucky to his feet, slugging his arm over his shoulder as his hand settled on his back and side as he half helped, half carried him back to one of the trucks they took from the now destroyed base. They came up behind the truck, the people inside abandoned willingly for their savior, now lifting his friend into the back of the truck like he weighed no more than a child.

Laying him down gently, Steve tapped Bucky's cheek, his hand lingering as he felt heat blazing up under his glove. He ripped it off and placed his palm once more on his cheek. Bucky was burning up, but shaking uncontrollably.

"Oh, Bucky…" Steve mumbled. Bucky pulled away violently form the touch, his mind ignoring reality, seeing only that machine and that Swiss Doctor putting a syringe into his arm. Bucky screamed, the image of the substance coursing through his body again felt so real.

Steve didn't know what to do. He stared in horror as the hallucination took over his friend's body. Not knowing what to do next, he crawled behind Bucky's head and pulled the now smaller man back into his chest, arms going across Bucky's torso.

"Come on, Buck, it's me. You're safe now. Its o. Come on, please, it's ok. It's ok." Steve coaxed, almost begging. It was so hard to see him like this, the man who had defended and protected him for so long being so broken.

"Bucky, come on. Please. Calm down. It's just me. It's Steve. Calm down." He pleaded.

Bucky finally began to calm and Steve let up on his tight grip a bit as his friend began to relax against his chest. Eventually, his breathing became normal as he began to fall into a slumber.

Steve breathed out a sigh of relief before checking once again for any other injury on Bucky. His hand traced his face and stopped when he felt blood on his hand. Bucky's ear was bleeding ever so slightly staining the earlobe.

Steve let out a huff. How could anyone do this to another person? Steve hated bullies, and that's all HYDRA was, and they had taken that out on one of the kindest men in this whole blasted war. Steve sighed. Being angry wasn't ever going to get anyone anywhere and it certainly wasn't going to help Bucky, who had now gone completely limp against him. He laid his head back against the back of the truck, tightening his grip on Bucky as he shut his eyes.

"Don't worry Buck." He mumbled to himself. "They won't ever hurt you again. Not anymore. Not while I'm still breathing. Till the end of the line. Till the end…"

A few hours past and the raise of the sun interrupted Steve. He hadn't slept at all, but no one had disrupted the two. Steve shifted out from under Bucky who too was stirring.

"Hey! Hey, Bucky! How are you feeling?" Steve asked lightly.

Bucky breathed heavily before heaving a light laugh. "Lie I just got his by a tank."

Steve laughed nervously. "Well you don't look any better." He teased.

Bucky laughed more heartily this time, sitting up. His eyes traced the flaps of the truck. "You should go back out there. You gotta lead this thing."

Steve shook his head "Nah. Can't do that yet. Gotta have you there. If I trip, who's gunna catch me?"

"Please," Bucky pointed at Steve's new build. "You trip now, you're gong down yourself." He smiled. They both knew he was lying. No matter the circumstance Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes would be there for each other.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Bucky asked.

Steve put a hand on his chest, stopping his forward movement. "Woah hey, you feeling better?"

Bucky nodded. "Steve, I'm fine. I don't know what that was, but it's over." _For now, at least, I hope. _He thought to himself.

Steve hesitated, and then leaned forward, touching Bucky's shoulder. "We're going to stop Hydra. They will never get to you or anyone else again."

Steve. Forever the idealist. Forever the hero. Even before the procedure he wanted to stop all the bad guys himself. That's what caused so many of his fights. All those times Bucky pulled him from the fight, here he was, saving his life in return.

With a final tap on his shoulder, Steve turned to leave the truck. "Come on, I saw a mad of Hydra's headquarters and we can easily take them down."

Suddenly Bucky reached out for his arm and stopped him. "Steve, wait. That map, it was missing one."

"One what?"

"A base."

"How do you know?" Steve asked.

"There was a different one. I heard them talking about it all the time. There's a secret base. It's not on any map of theirs or ours, from what I remember."

"Do you remember where it was?"

Bucky's mouth pitched up in a half smile. "Get me to a map."

Steve smiled too. "Let's get back to the base." He climbed out of the truck, Bucky following.

They jumped out, and there waiting were the worried survivors all eyeing Bucky. Steve nodded to them, and they all seemed to relax and nod to Bucky, happy to see him feeling better. A large machine gun was offered to him. Bucky nodded and pulled the strap across his shoulders, holding the gun in front of him.

"Captain!" Jim Morita interrupted. "We're approaching the base."

Steve nodded at the man and turned back to face his friend. Bucky and Steve shared a silent OK and Steve led the way back to front of the pack once again, Bucky right next to him, both shoulder to shoulder. The crowd of survivors all moved in silent respect and awe as the hero and his friend made their way to the front. Falling in line, the large group marched the rest of the way into the American Base.


End file.
